1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relate to the embedment of anchoring or mooring devices on the surface of the sea or ocean floor. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved embedment of an anchor, using a slow burning powder that propels the anchor shaft downward into the sea or ocean floor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The general purpose of this invention is to provide an improved deep penetrating embedment anchor for use in marine applications.
Embedment anchors are used to provide for secure holding and accurate positioning of buoyant vessels in the sea or ocean.
The present state of the art has been represented in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,583,965 issued to Page, Jr., et al. in 1952, U.S. Pat. No. 3,032,000 issued to Feiler in 1962 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,170,433 issued to Gardiner in 1965.
Page, et al. disclose a pile driving apparatus adapted for driving piles beneath the surface of a body of water with the help of explosion force, which is directed downwardly against the piling by the inertia of a driving head and also by the inertia of a water column above it.
Feiler discloses an embedment anchor in which an explosive charge is used to drive the anchor into the ocean bottom. It also includes a propulsion means to embed the anchor in the bottom of a body of water, and has a firing mechanism which will only ignite the propellant charge upon an engagement of the anchor with the ocean bottom.
Gardiner discloses an embedment anchor, wherein an explosive charge is used to drive an anchor into the ocean bottom, with the explosive anchor having a recoverable and reuseable recall assembly. There are further provided means to separate the anchor components immediately following the major separation of the projectile assembly and the recall assembly so that most resistance is offered to the subsequent orienting of the projectile assembly.
All these patents suffer from one major disadvantage. They use explosion as a driving force for embedment of anchors. And the explosion itself occurs after the engagement with an ocean bottom which causes detonation in the explosive material.